Ornlatrix
Dragonborn Paladin Ornlitrix, whose name means "Silver Armor" in Draconic, knew from the first time he learned about injustice and evil in the world that he was destined to be a Paladin. Not merely a knight, or a good-hearted fighter: a true Paladin, a shining example of virtue, hope, and strength who would stand courageously against any evil and emerge victorious. It took longer than one might've expected. Ornlitrix passed his trials of initiation brilliantly: his conduct and character were beyond reproach, and yet it seemed he always had one more mission to undertake as a squire before he could be properly inducted. The knight he served, an ancient dragonborn named Hashex, told him only that this was the will of the Church of Bahamut, and it should not be questioned. On their last mission together, to destroy a cell of a well-entrenched and powerful Abyssal cult, Ornlitrix and Hashex arrived to find the cultist headquarters empty save for a few prisoners. The two split up to search for them, and in one of their chambers Onlitrix discovered a sloppily burned letter marked with the personal seal of the Knight-Captain of his chapter, Darlen. What he read filled him with rage. Not only was the letter a warning that the Knight-Captain would soon be forced to order a raid the cultist's quarters, but it made mention of a trade of prisoners - some people the cult had kidnapped would be left for the chapter to "rescue", and in return the cultists would receive some condemned prisoners for their sacrifices. When he showed the letter to Hashex, the older dragonborn dismissed it as clever lies left to shake their faith. As much as he wanted to believe that, Ornlitrix could not shake the feeling that something was amiss. A short time later, Hashex was assassinated. It was assumed by all that Ornlitrix would be knighted to take his former master's place, but to everyone's surprise the knight-captain gave him yet another mission, to find and bring to justice Hashex's murderer. It was a matter of days. There was an obvious vial of poison, clear footprints in the earth. When Ornlitrix found the woman who had poisoned his old master - the young, pregnant woman - she practically threw himself at his feet. She had been with the cult briefly, she said, but decided to leave when she found she was with child. Knowing the cult would not take a resignation lightly, she turned to the mercy of the Church of Bahamut. The one she had spoken to - matching Darlen's description - said he would protect her, but for a price. She would go to a certain house and poison a certain meal. In desperation, she accepted. Part of Ornlitrix wanted to dismiss her words as lies and slay her without question, but he saw no deception in her eyes: only genuine terror. If what she said was true, Darlen was guilty of the most heinous treason. Even the possibility was too serious to ignore. The best solution, decided Ornlitrix, would be to confront Darlen directly, and demand that he tell the truth in Bahamut's name. Such an oath is binding in a way few non-paladins could ever understand: to even issue such a demand is perilous, but no true paladin will refuse, and to break the oath is unthinkable. And so the truth came out. Darlen was afraid of Ornlitrix, afraid of what might happen if the idealistic young dragonborn were allowed to join the chapter and discover its history - the chain of corruption had not begun with Darlen. Unable to prevent him from becoming an initiate, and not quite so evil as to murder a child in cold blood, the knight-captain had sent him and the aging Hashex - who had recently transferred to the relatively quiet chapter as a form of retirement - on ever more dangerous missions, hoping that they would die in valorous combat. Hashex had been more disturbed by the letter they'd found than he let on. Word reached the knight-captain's ear that he had been asking questions he should not have been. When the woman came to him, he realized that he could solve several problems at once. He could remove the disrupting Hashex, earn favor with the cult by slaying the deserting woman, and destroy Ornlitrix's chance at true paladinhood, expecting the initiate to immediately murder the woman in a vengeful fury. Darlen spoke without shame. Mortal life, he said, was far too tenuous and uncertain to take such firm moral stances. His own knight-captain had explained to him how the Abyssal cult was good for the chapter, and by extension good for the people: he hoped that even if Ornlitrix weren't killed, more worldly experience would temper his zeal. The young dragonborn was horrified, hurt, betrayed, but most of all, he was furious - in small part for the indignities he had suffered, but more for the perversion of the ideals of Paladinhood to which a man he had long admired had just casually admitted. He knew that there was no way he could match Darlen in single combat, but his sense of his sense of duty and honor compelled him to draw his sword. As he did so, he was struck with a vision of Hashex, his former master, and of his patron god, Bahamut. A ray of energy emerged from the mouth of the Platinum Dragon and struck Darlen. In an instant, his powers were stripped from him. With a smile, the vision of Hashex touched Ornlitrix's chest, and the younger dragonborn felt a wave of power flow through him: he had received the powers of a newly knighted Paladin. Not as powerful as Darlen or Hashex at their prime, but more than enough to overcome the defrocked knight-captain. Mastering his fury, Ornlitrix spared Darlen's life and turned him over to the superiors of the Church. Impressed by his conduct, the Church officially inducted him into its Order, but Ornlitrix was already satisfied. He had been chosen by Bahamut himself. Today, Ornlitrix lives as a roving paladin, seeking good to do, wrongs to right and evil to destroy, and trusting in Bahamut's guidance to take him where he ought to be. He thinks highly of the Church of Bahamut and sometimes takes missions from them, but he is always wary of corruption and never blindly follows orders. He is still a devoted follower of Bahamut, though he actually perceives the Platinum Dragon as an exemplar and patron, rather than an originator, of the Paladin's power and virtue. True Paladinhood, he says, transcends faith and dogma. Still, he knows that the silver edges of his scales (which appeared the moment he received his powers, and grow to cover more of him as he advances) are proof of Bahamut's favor. Statistics Ability Scores Health Defenses Feats * Hope Remains * Dragonborn Senses * Devoted Paladin * Armor of Bahamut Skills |} Powers Racial *Dragon Breath Class Features *Channel Divinity (Divine Mettle, Divine Strength) *Divine Challenge *Lay On Hands At-Will *Virtuous Strike *Bolstering Strike Encounter * Valorous Strike * Call to Arms Daily * Glorious Charge * Unyielding Faith Utility * Divine Counter * Wrath of the Gods Items Equipment *Reinforcing Plate +1 (Level 4) *Symbol of Divinity +1 (Level 2) *Pavise Charm +2 (Level 8) *Longsword (Mundane) *Heavy Shield (Mundane)